It was really hard to concentrate on the pain with so many people packed into her hospital room. Family, friends, and others from Pride were crammed into the small space. There were so many flowers and balloons, she was amazed that they all fit in.

Her eyes kept scanning the crowd for Parker, but he was nowhere to be found. When she finally waved her mother over, she was fighting the pain meds again.

“Can they cut back on this stuff?” she asked her mom, who immediately hit the call button for the nurse. “Where’s Parker?” she asked.

Her mom smiled down at her. “He and Matt had to run an errand and will be back later tonight.”

“Mom.” She waited until her mother’s eyes locked with hers. “I love that everyone came down to see me, but I’m tired.”

Five minutes later, her room was cleared out, but she still had all the flowers, balloons, and cards to remind her how much she was loved by the people in Pride.

The nurse came and adjusted the machine feeding her the drugs. Her parents and her aunt Lacey were still in the room with her. Lacey worked quietly in a corner on her laptop. Her dad sat next to her bed, holding her hand, while her mother walked around arranging the flowers and reading cards to her.

When the door opened, Sara was a little shocked to see Susannah rush into the room.

“Sara.” Her sister sat on the bed next to her and tried to give her a hug.

“Suzie, what are you doing here? It’s the middle of the summer semester.” She used her childhood nickname for her sister.

“When mom called this morning, I took the weekend off. My professors understood.” Her sister’s eyes ran over her leg. “How bad does it hurt?”

“Not at all right now. My meds kicked in a few minutes ago.” She smiled at her little sister. “You cut your hair.”

Suzie nodded. “Do you like it?”

They heard a chuckle and matching green eyes turned towards their father.

“What?” they said at the same time.

He smiled. “It’s good to know that even in the face of disaster, my girls can still talk fashion.”

Sara laughed and reached for her father’s hand. She hadn’t realized tears were rolling down her face until her father reached over and gently brushed them aside.

“Is Parker mad at me?” she asked out of the blue.

“Oh, honey.” Her mother rushed to her bedside. “No, sweetie, he…” Her mother’s eyes moved to her father’s. “Had a few things to see to.”

“Is that code for something?” Suzie asked.

“No,” her mother answered.

“He’s in Portland, getting his brother,” her dad answered.

“Parker wanted to assess the situation first. He may not bring the boy back. He wants to make sure you are safe, first and foremost,” her mother added.

“He’s a kid,” Sara said. “He belongs with his brother.” Her heart ached a little, knowing she wouldn’t be there for their first meeting.

“Yes, but Parker was concerned…” Her father took a deep breath. “He told me that his father said some… things. He just wants to make sure he won’t put you in any more danger.”

“Parker didn’t put me in any danger,” she said slowly.

“Of course not,” her mother chimed in. “But you can understand his desire for caution.”

She nodded.

“So.” Her sister sat next to her. “Tell me all about your new man.”

They talked for more than half an hour before she grew tired again. Sara had never napped so much in her life. Even though they were short catnaps, she was growing tired of being tired.

Whenever her eyes were open, she watched the clock like a hawk and wondered about Parker. She had tried to call him a couple times, then realized his cell phone was probably still in the pile of metal that used to be her Jeep.

“Did he say when he’d be back?” she asked for what was probably the hundredth time.

“No, sweetie,” her mother said from her spot in a chair across the room.

Just then, there was a light knock on the door. Her father opened the door, then quickly stepped outside. She could hear him talking and desperately wanted to know what was going on.

When the door opened again, Parker stepped inside without her father.

“Hey.” He moved over to her bed and smiled down at her. “You’re looking more awake.”

Her eyes ran over him. “You’re okay?” she asked, taking in the fresh bandages on his arms.

“Yeah.” He sat down in the chair next to her. “Just some cuts and bruises. I’ve had…”

“Worse,” she finished for him, causing him to smile.

“Right.”

“Did you find your brother?” she asked.

He nodded. “He’s outside.”

She waited. “Are you going to keep me from him?”

“Your dad’s talking to him now.”

“Interviewing him, you mean.” She would have crossed her arms over her chest, if she could have.

“He’s… feeling things out.” He took her hand in his and raised it to his lips. “It’s spooky how much we have in common. I think the kid looks more like me, than our old man.”

She smiled. “I can’t wait to meet him. Why did you go without me?”

His smile fell away. “I had to make sure things were… safe.”

She wanted to ask more but just then the door opened, and her father and her brother stepped in. The kid followed behind them more slowly.

Instantly, her heart went out to the boy. He was too skinny, tall for his age, and looked like an insecure younger version of Parker.

She tried to shift up into a sitting position, and Parker helped her by pushing the button on the mechanical bed.

“Thanks,” she said softly. “Hi.” She tried to put on her best smile for the kid.

“Hey,” he said in a voice that had already most likely gone through the change to a lower octave.

“I’m Sara.” She waved him closer.

“Yeah, Parker, my brother, told me what happened,” Palmer said as he moved further into the room. “Everything…” Sadness filled the kid’s eyes and Sara knew instantly that the boy wasn’t dangerous.

“We’re going to head down and grab some food.” Her father took Suzie by her hand. Her eyes were glued to the scene in front of her as if she were enjoying her latest soap opera.

Her family quickly made their retreat while Palmer looked on, appearing a little uncomfortable.

“Why don’t you sit down? I’d really like to get to know you some more,” she said, motioning to the chair beside her bed.

“You aren’t tired or hurting?” Palmer asked, his eyes running over her leg.

“No, I’m fine for now. The pain medicine they have me on numbs it all.”

The kid sat down across from his brother. For a moment, she let her eyes slide between the pair.

“So, how long were you at Covenant Home?” Sara asked.

Palmer shrugged and looked at his hands. “A little over a year.”

“And before that?” she asked.

“My aunt, our father’s sister. She had two other kids my age,” Palmer answered.

Sara looked at Parker, who nodded and looked like he wanted more information himself.

“How long with them?”

Palmer’s eyes moved up to hers. “I can’t remember a time I didn’t live with Josie.”

Sara’s chin rose. “What about your parents?”

He shrugged. “They’d come and go. Mostly show up drunk or high and crash on the sofa for the night. The next day they were always gone.”

“Did they ever mention you having a brother?”

Parker squeezed her hand and when she glanced in his direction, she saw the hurt behind his eyes.

“No, I didn’t know until they called Jerry’s this morning.” He shook his head. “It’s what we call the home. It was named after the guy that started it.” He shrugged.

“Do you want to live with your brother?” Sara finally asked. She was feeling tired and didn’t have time to beat around the bush.

Palmer’s eyes moved to Parker’s. “He seems okay. As long as he’s nothing like our old man… Sure, why not.”

Sara smiled. “Palmer, I give you my word, your brother is nothing like your father.”

The kid shrugged and went back to looking down at his hands.

* * *

Just hearing those words from Sara caused Parker to relax for the first time in twenty-four hours.

Matt had driven them like a bat out of hell to Portland in his BMW. They had made it up there before noon. Meeting his brother for the first time was like seeing for the first time.

He knew he was a stranger to the kid, but on the drive back to Pride, he’d tried to ask and answer as many questions as he could while Matt drove.

He’d been thankful Sara’s brother had volunteered to drive him up there and back, since his knee was sore and had started to swell underneath the bandages. Besides, he’d been able to take a quick catnap on the drive up there.

He knew he could have put the trip off for a few days, but after last night, he wanted closure on that part of his life.

Knowing his grandmother had known about Palmer convinced him that whatever happened now, he had to make sure the kid was taken care of.

“I’m sorry, I’m feeling groggy,” Sara said, her words slurring.

Parker stood, and Palmer followed his lead.

“We’re going to go get the kid settled in my guest room. Then I’ll be back.”

“No.” She reached for his hand. “Get some rest. I’ll be fine. My mother is going to stay tonight. Go, order some pizza and get to know your brother.” She smiled up at him.

His eyes moved over to Palmer’s and he could tell she’d struck a chord with the pizza offer.

Bending down, he laid a soft kiss on her lips.

“We’ll have that talk, soon. I love you.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she said softly.

They ran into her family in the hallway as they were heading out of the building. Parker was a little shocked how much Sara’s sister, Suzie, looked like her. Then again, Palmer was a smaller look-alike of himself. That would take some getting used to.

Megan assured him that she would stay with Sara and message him if anything changed.

He reached in his back pocket for his phone and cursed under his breath.

“Oh.” Todd snapped his fingers. “Robert dropped this off earlier.” He pulled Parker’s cell phone from his back pocket. “The screen is cracked but it still works.”

He smiled. “Thanks.” He looked over at the kid. “Do you have a phone?”

“No.” Palmer looked depressed about it.

“Looks like we’ll have to pick us up some new ones this weekend.” The kid’s eyes grew big and Parker could see the excitement behind them.

Since his truck was at his house, Matt offered to lend them his car for the night.

“You sure?” he asked when Sara’s brother tossed him the keys to the BMW.

“You can walk if you want.” Matt jokingly reached for the keys. Parker snapped them away and shoved them deep in his jean pockets.

He turned to his brother. “We’re good, right?”

The kid surprised him by laughing. “Hell, yeah.”

Parker chuckled all the way out to the parking lot.

“Can I drive?” Palmer asked as they stood at the hood of the car they’d ridden in all day.

Parker glanced down at him. “Hell no. You’re only…” He turned and narrowed his eyes at the kid. “Thirteen, right?”

“Fourteen next month,” Palmer supplied.

“I bet you can’t even reach the pedals yet,” he joked, unlocking the car.

Palmer quietly got in the passenger side.

“What’s your house like?” Palmer asked as Parker pulled out of the parking lot.

“A good deal better than the place you were staying, I’d wager,” he said as he stopped at the light. Edgeview was a bigger town than Pride and at this time of night, there were still a lot of cars on the road. He bet in Pride, everyone was already tucked in their homes.

Glancing at the clock on the dash, he calculated they had time for a stop before heading to his house.

“How about a quick stop before we grab some pizza and you meet the mutt I call Toby.” He’d told his brother about the dog, making sure the kid wasn’t allergic or something.

“Sure.” Palmer sat back and looked relaxed in the seat. “Where?”

He glanced at him sideways. “I thought you’d like to meet your grandmother.”

He punched the number on his broken screen and made a call.

Half an hour later, they walked through the door of the retirement home. It had taken him a little sweet-talking of the head nurse on duty, but he’d finally convinced her to allow them five minutes when they arrived.

When Parker opened his grandmother’s door, he stepped in and allowed Palmer to follow him. His grandmother’s state hadn’t changed.

He hobbled over to the side of the bed and reached for the old lady’s hand as Palmer took up residence on the other side. They both looked down at her, Parker with love and Palmer with interest.

“This is our mother’s mother?” he asked.

“Yes. She’s the only person in my life that’s ever loved me unconditionally. Until Sara,” he added. His eyes moved up to his brother’s and his heart broke when he noticed the younger boy’s eyes grow red.

“I wish…” A strange sound escaped the kid, and he rushed from the room.

Parker looked down at his grandmother and laid a kiss on her paper-thin cheek.

“I’ll take care of him, I promise you that. He’s family now. He’ll know how wonderful of a parent you were. I’ll show him the love you showed me.” He kissed her again, then went to find his brother.